Annual Report 2014-2015 Table of Contents 1. Message from the Chair of the Board of Governors 2 2. Mission Statement 3 3. Vision Statement and Values 3-4 4. Report from the Director General 5-8 5. Student Populations Full-Time Day Students by Program Fall 2014 (comparison Fall 2013) 9 Gender Distribution of Day Students Fall 2014 10 Enrolments Pre-University/Career Programs and A&T Fall 2014 11 Continuing Education Enrolments (credit, including AEC) 12 AEC Graduates 12 Continuing Education Enrolments (non-credit) 12 DEC Graduates by Program (Diplomas) 13 6. Achievement of Targets Graph 1: All Programs – Average Progress Toward College’s Graduation Target 14 Graph 2: Course Success Rates 15 Graph 3: First Semester Course Pass Rates 16 Graph 4: Retention of Cohort A Students from Semester 1 to 3 17 7. Employment Statistics 18 8: Financial Statements 19 9. Organizational Chart 20 10. Board of Governors Membership and Committees 21 11. Members of Senate 22 12. Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Members of Board of Governors 23-26 13. Institutional and Individual Accomplishments in 2014-2015 27-32 Dawson College / Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 1 Annual Report 2014-2015 1. Message from the Chair of the Board of Governors Monsieur le ministre de l’Éducation, de l’enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Board of Governors of Dawson College, to submit this annual report for the year 2014-2015 which will provide a comprehensive overview of the achievements and noteworthy events that have characterized the actions undertaken by the College during this academic year. We are confident, Monsieur le ministre, that by reading this report you will gain a deep understanding of the dynamic character of Dawson College, an institution that can count on an active community that is committed to fulfilling its educational mission. During the 2014-2015 academic year, the Board of Governors met on seven occasions to ensure the principles of good governance of the College's activities. During these meetings, the members of the Board had ample opportunity to learn about the main activities of the College to assess their relevance and to evaluate their effectiveness. Several resolutions were discussed and adopted that dealt with items related to the College's mission. These resolutions included adoption of annual budgets and the annual management plan; changes to institutional policies; approval of programs that underwent revisions; approval of contracts under its jurisdiction; adoption of activity reports produced by the College’s service areas, such as those pertaining to the Office of the Ombudsperson and the Centre for Research on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (CRISPESH); renewal of agreements for the internationalization of academic programs; management of the process for the mandate renewal of the Director General. These are just some of the topics brought to the attention of the Board. Despite a difficult financial situation as a result of significant budget cuts in 2014-2015, the College succeeded in pursuing its goals by remaining focused on developing its objectives through a firm commitment to provide a rich and stimulating educational environment that encourages student success and the achievement of students’ full potential. We are confident, Monsieur le ministre, that by reading this annual report, you will see the commitment of all members of the Dawson College community to the fulfillment of their mission as well as the relevance of educational values on which this commitment is based. Respectfully submitted, Louise Kralka Chair of the Board of Governors Dawson College / Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 2 2. Mission Statement As a College in the province of Quebec, aware of its responsibility to contribute to the intellectual, economic and social development of our society, Dawson College believes that it is equally important to prepare students for further academic education and for immediate employment. Therefore, the Mission of Dawson College is: • to provide a sound education in English to the broadest possible student population; • to value the ethnic and cultural diversity of our College and to celebrate this diversity within the context of an English education; • to maintain standards of academic excellence essential to our students’ future success and to provide the appropriate programs, services and technology to ensure that any student admitted has the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to achieve these standards; • to continue to develop innovative and flexible educational approaches to serve the needs of our students; • to affirm that the College, as a community, requires the participation and representation of all its members – students, staff and faculty – in its governance; • to encourage the personal and social development of Dawson students through activities outside the classroom; • to develop the role of the College as a community resource and as a centre for life-long learning. 3. Vision Statement and Values Vision Dawson College will be the college of choice for a diversity of students seeking to prepare themselves to succeed in a complex, rapidly changing world. • We will be respected for our dedication to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning, and for our commitment to educating the student as a whole person. • We will be acknowledged as an exemplary post-secondary institution that engenders a culture of learning and fosters a climate of innovation and continuous improvement among all its members. • We will be recognized for our effectiveness in anticipating and responding to the needs of our communities, locally and internationally. • We will be seen as a responsible organization whose members collaborate to create sustainable solutions to the most pressing issues of our society. Dawson College / Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 3 Values Collegiality As an educational community, we are committed to a shared mission, draw on common values to perform our daily tasks and are dedicated to the pursuit of common goals. Collegiality expresses the need to reach beyond the particular commonality of purpose to create conditions where respect, openness and integrity foster a general sense of the common good. Accessibility Dawson’s history has demonstrated the community’s resolve to be accessible to the many students, young and adult, who show an interest in our institution. This commitment to accessibility for those with the will and aptitude to succeed in collegial studies has given rise to innovative, flexible and thoughtful educational projects that have become a Dawson hallmark and have made this College an attractive academic destination for so many people. Considering the projected shift in demographics, accessibility must remain an important value in the forthcoming period. Responsibility We have been entrusted with a mission to provide the best education possible to all our students and to contribute to the best of our abilities to their intellectual, social and personal growth. This mission will not be fully achieved without the contribution of each member of the College. To state responsibility as a main educational value means that all of us, as members of a learning community, take seriously our role as educators. This also means that our ultimate goal is to educate young people and adults so that they act responsibly in their personal, professional and social lives. Excellence As an educational value, excellence has played a key role in Dawson’s quest for recognition. Over the years, the community has committed itself to the pursuit of excellence, accepting that this is the best way to remain consistent with the broad and generous reach of its educational mission. To remain faithful to the mission and to the importance the community has attached to it, excellence must be clearly seen in all our activities, throughout the programs and services we offer. We continue to uphold our high standards of quality and genuine care for student success. Dawson College / Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 4 4. Report from the Director General The 2014-2015 academic year represents the final year of the Strategic Plan adopted by the Board of Governors of Dawson College in 2010. During the five years of its existence, the Strategic Plan has allowed Dawson College to demonstrate itself to be a dynamic institution, eager to offer students stimulating programs of study and learning activities using innovative and inspiring pedagogical approaches that promote student success. However, the implementation of certain initiatives suffered as a result of successive budget cuts that have affected the level of resources available to the College. A not-insignificant contributing factor can be seen just in the year 2014-2015 with nearly $ 1.2 million being cut from the operating budget, forcing the College to make some hard choices to safeguard the integrity of its mission and the continuity of strategic actions. As these cuts may only be applied to a restricted part of the annual budget allocation, the College was forced to manage operating costs while honouring contractual obligations. Another element that had an important impact on the College was substantial turnover in senior management personnel. During 2014-2015, new senior managers filled the positions of Academic Dean and Director of Administrative Services. Moreover, academic administration also saw the need to fill positions due to the movement of personnel. These organizational changes represented significant challenges in terms of work integration and familiarity with the responsibilities inherent to the positions. Notwithstanding the budgetary situation and the changing face of the organization, the Dawson community managed to persevere and kept on course pursuing its activities and important projects were completed in accordance with the annual management plan adopted by the Board of Governors of the College. As highlights: • The College conducted an audit of its quality assurance mechanisms, carried out in accordance with guidelines from the Commission d’évaluation de l’enseignement collégial (CEEC).